Murray Wins Davey O'Brien Award

ATLANTA — Oklahoma's Kyler Murray won the Davey O'Brien Award for the nation's top quarterback Thursday night at the Home Depot College Football Awards.

Murray, who was the No. 9 overall pick by the Oakland A's in last summer's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, is the second Sooner in two years to win the O'Brien Award, joining Baker Mayfield.

The O'Brien Award was initially given to the top player in the Southwest before going to a quarterback-only honor in 1981. As a result, Murray is the fifth Sooner to take home the award, joining Sam Bradford (2008), White (2003, '04) and running back Billy Sims (1978).

Named the AP Player of the Year earlier Thursday, Murray leads the nation in total yards (school-record 4,945), points responsible for (306), passing efficiency rating (205.7; FBS record is 198.9), yards per pass attempt (11.9; FBS record is 11.1) and yards per completion (16.8, tied). He also ranks second in completion percentage (.709; first among Power Five players).

The Allen, Texas, product has completed 241 of 340 passes this year for 4,053 yards and 40 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 892 yards and another 11 scores. He needs 108 rushing yards to become just the second player in FBS history to throw for at least 4,000 and run for at least 1,000 in a season (Clemson's DeShaun Watson did it in 2015 with 4,109 passing and 1,105 rushing in 15 games).

Murray is the first FBS player to enter bowl season averaging at least 300.0 passing yards (311.8) and at least 60.0 rushing yards (68.6) per game. His 4,527 yards of total offense are more than 68 of the country's other 129 teams, including six squads that are ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll.

Murray has thrown at least two touchdown passes in 12 of 13 games this season, and has thrown at least three TD passes in 10 contests. He had his school- and Big 12-record streak of eight games with at least three TD passes snapped in a win against Oklahoma State on Nov. 10.

On Friday, Murray will head to New York City for Heisman Trophy weekend. He is a finalist for the award with Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Murray will look to become OU's seventh Heisman winner and second straight (Mayfield). No school has ever produced back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners who were quarterbacks.

No. 4-ranked OU, which behind Murray leads the nation in points per game (49.5), yards per game (577.9) and yards per play (8.7; FBS record is 8.6), will make its 52nd bowl appearance when it takes on No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by ESPN.